‘Mafias’ Want to finish me over My Land — Solicitor General

‘Mafias’ Want to finish me over My Land — Solicitor General

By Stuart Yiga

The Solicitor General, Francis Atoke has expressed fear over a group of ‘mafias’ that has continued to taint his name by fabricating and vending falsehood land theft claims against him.

In an interview with Red pepper, Atoke explained that, in his capacity, he cannot in anyway use his office Position to influence any matter whatsoever against anybody as it is alleged by some ‘mafias’ whose intentions are not yet known to him.

There are have been reports that Atoke is involved in a land grabbing scandal of about 1000 acres, located in Buga village, Kamdini Parish, Kamdini Sub County in Oyam District.

The land in question is part of the property that was left to Atoke as an executor by the late Uganda People’s Congress boss, Abel Maktim Olero who died in 1970’s.

“You know me I believe in the law so, when people like Geofrey Olaka wanted to claim my land, I engaged the local authorities who intervened until the truth came out. Actually Oloka himself on 18th April, 2015, wrote a letter before the area LCI Chairperson Saidi Alunyo and the farm manager, Lawrence Obongo, admitting that the land on which he was living, belonged to me and said he would vacate it anytime I asked him to do so. Peter Odongo had also vacated the land after telling him to do so but after sometime, he re-entered the land without my permission and constructed a new hut there,” Atoke said.

In the same line, Levi Ochieng in the statement he allegedly recorded at the Criminal Investigation headquarters under file number-HQTRS/145/2016, he clearly admitted that the house in which he was living on the disputed land was built by Francis Atoke who had employed him to stay there at a monthly pay of Shs.100,000/-.

Records further indicate that Atoke used Ogwal Yuwana to build the same house.

However, when he asked them to vacate his land again, they kept a deaf ear.

Later, a group of unfamiliar people demolished the huts which had been erected by the complainants on the disputed land shortly after being apprehended by police, following a complaint from Atoke, who accused the trio of criminal trespass.

Although rumours had it that it was Atoke’s lawyer-Richard Karuhanga that had plotted for the demolition of their new structures, he came out and denied the allegations.

He clearly stipulated that it was the suspects themselves who had planned for demolition as a trick to crush the criminal trespass case that had been brought against them by Atoke, his boss.

This land dispute matter has been in court for some time and actually one of the Bosco Ogwang Atoli was struck off by Court when he openly confessed that he had been dragged into the issue that he was not interested in.

Surprisingly still, one of the accused Levy Ocheng earlier stated in court that he was staying on the controversial land as a keeper but now, he is contradicting his statement by claiming a share on the land.

ABOUT THE CLAN MEETING:

It should be recalled that on 7th May, 2005, a clan meeting that was chaired by the Clan Chief of Okar in Kamdini Township, was held to resolve the land dispute matter between Geofrey Odongo and Francis Atoke.

The meeting also resolved that the agreement (Will) of the late Abel Olero and his son Francis Atoke is valid and as a result, Atoke was given full responsibility and authority to take charge of the land and even take legal action to whoever tampers with his land.